The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 31, 1989, Image 10

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    SUPERIOR
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"SUPERIOR SERVICE FOR TODAYS CARS’
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Mazda • Mitsubishi • Toyota
Also: Chrysler, Ford and GM Imports
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The Battalion
WORLD & NATION 10
Tuesday, October 31,1989
Supreme Court enters dispute
over federal pension protection
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal
protection for 30 million American
workers’ pensions could be at stake
in a dispute the Supreme Court
agreed to resolve Monday.
The justices said they will decide
what authority the Pension Benefit
Guaranty Corporation, a federal
agency, has to order employers to
revive scrapped pension plans.
A federal appeals court limited
such authority by setting aside the
agency’s order that LTV Corp. and
its subsidiary, LTV Steel Co., restore
three pension plans with unfunded
liabilities of $2.3 billion.
James B. Lockhart, executive di
rector of the PBGC, told reporters
Monday that the lower courts “mis
understood and misapplied,” the
agency’s arguments in finding for
LTV. By pursuing the matter, he
said, PBGC is trying to “prevent fu
ture losses from companies that
might want to copycat the LTV type
approach.”
LTV said it was disappointed that
the court had agreed to hear the case
because it will delay the company’s
reorganization. But a statement
from the company said LTV is “con
fident the outcome in the Supreme
Court will validate the lower court
decisions.”
Government lawyers say the rul
ing, if not overturned, could make
the agency “an open-ended source
of industry bailouts.”
The justices’ decision is expected
by July.
In other matters Monday, the
court:
• Let stand rulings that blocked a
Nebraska agency from imposing
mandatory blood testing for AIDS
of employees who come into direct
contact with the mentally retarded
people the agency serves.
• Turned down an appeal by
James Earl Ray, serving a 99-year
prison sentence for the 1968 assassi
nation of the Rev. Martin Luther
King in Memphis, Tenn.
• Rejected, in a Virginia case, ar
guments that states must not favor
the clergy over secular humanists in
licensing people to perform wed
dings.
• Barred a lawsuit against the
Christian Science church by a Michi
gan couple whose 15-month-old boy
died after they, as church members,
were counseled to rely on faith heal
ing and avoid seeking medical help
• Left intact rulings that may lei
Urbana, Ohio, ban as obscene five
nationally distributed “adult” mag
azines generally not considered
hard-core pornography.
• Agreed to decide whether the
Port Authority of New York and
New Jersey, and perhaps other
multi-state agencies as well, maybe
sued in federal courts.
U.S. warplane
accidentally
bombs Navy ship
WASHINGTON (AP) - A
U.S. warplane accidentally
dropped a 500-pound bomb on
the Navy guided-missile cruiser
USS Reeves during maneuvers in
the Indian Ocean Monday,
slightly injuring five sailors and
leaving a five-foot hole in the
ship’s main deck, the Navy said.
The bomb, which detonated
upon impact, set off a small fire
that was quickly extinguished, Lt.
Bruce Cole, a Navy spokesman at
the Pentagon said. The incident
occurred at 9:06 p.m. local time
(10:36 a.m. EST.)
The five sailors received minor
injuries that did not require out
side medical assistance, Cole said.
The cruiser was located about
32 miles from Diego Garcia in the
Indian Ocean.
Although the bomb left a five-
foot hole in the deck near the
bow, it did no damage to the
outer hull, Cole said.
The aircraft, a single-seat F-A-
18 Hornet, had been dispatched
from the carrier USS Midway.
Poll says Americans favor peace
with Iran to free U.S. hostages
NEW YORK (AP) — Most Americans favor rap
prochement with Iran in exchange for the release of
the U.S. hostages in Lebanon, even though they see the
Islamic republic as a sponsor of world terrorism, a na
tional poll has found.
Ten years after the Iran hostage crisis poisoned U.S.-
Iran relations, 61 percent in the Media General-Asso
ciated Press poll said Washington should offer to re
sume normal ties if Iran got the Americans in Lebanon
freed.
Support was somewhat lower for releasing Iranian
assets locked in U.S. banks in trade for the hostages’
freedom, with 50 percent in favor. And respondents
overwhelmingly rejected paying ransom directly to the
captors, with 85 percent opposed.
Respondents divided evenly on the idea of direct ne
gotiations with the hostage takers, while most favored
indirect negotiations. A majority favored military ac
tion, but that fell to a minority if the hostages might be
killed in the effort.
Eighteen Westerners, including eight Americans, are
held in Lebanon, most by groups believed loyal to Iran.
Iran has offered to help free the captives if its assets
held in U.S. banks were released.
It is unclear to what extent Iran controls the captors,
if at all. In the poll, though, 72 percent said they be
lieved Iran does control the hostage takers, and 79 per
cent said Iran supports international terrorism.
Iran and the United States have been estranged since
Nov. 4, 1979, when Iranian students, apparently with
official support, seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and
took 52 Americans hostage.
They were held for 444 days, crippling President
Carter’s administration and contributing to his defeat
in the 1980 election. A rescue attempt failed, killing
eight servicemen, and the prisoners were freed only on
Jan. 20, 1981, the day of Ronald Reagan’s inaugura
tion.
Reagan and now President Bush have labored with
another hostage crisis, the Americans captive in Leb
anon. Longest held is Terry A. Anderson, chief Middle
East correspondent for the Associated Press, kidnap
ped in March 1985.
The Fords
have always
driven
Volkswagens.
Ask Kimo Ford why he bought a Volkswagen and
get ready for some family history.
"Everyone in my family has driven a Volkswagen
at one time or another. My dad had a Microbus in
the Sixties. My mom and sister both drove Beetles.
And my brother, who's also a student drives an
'83 Volkswagen Rabbit.
"So when I saved enough money to buy a car
there was only one logical choice. A Volkswagen.
My car's a '79 Rabbit. With 145,000 miles on it.
Ten years old and all those miles and it's still
running great.
"If you ask me, it's the perfect student's car.
Good on gas. Fun to drive. And big enough to
carry four friends." Even so, Kimo is already think
ing about his next car. Another Volkswagen?
"Absolutely. A GTI. White. Gotta have white."
It's time to think about
Volkswagen again.
If you drive a Volkswagen and would like to be featured in an ad, send
your story and a photo to: Volkswagen Testimonials
187 S. Woodward, Suite 200 • Birmingham, Ml 48009